• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, January 8, 2007

Children's cereals are jam-packed with sugary goodness, no surprise, but calcium? Color me shocked.

Kellogg's launched a "strong" print campaign in the December/January issues of two popular Arab female magazines, Sayidaty and Zahrat Al Khaleej, illustrating the role calcium plays in a growing child's life.

The ad, promoting Coco Pops cereal, was created on thick white paper symbolizing the strength of healthy, calcium-enriched bones, and placed in the middle of each magazine.

OMD Ignition in Dubai devised the ad concept and handled the media buy. Leo Burnett created the ads.

"We came up with the 'calcium-enforced page' concept through a brainstorming session with the Kellogg's planning team at OMD," said Karim Abbas, Director of OMD Ignition. "The challenge was to empower the impact of our message to mothers through a creative use of print media," continued Abbas.

"Hold this paper and you'll find it more thick. More powerful. More solid. Like your children's bones when you offer them calcium-rich snacks," is the translation of the Arabic ad copy following the familiar Kellogg's logo. "Opposite page contains more calcium," reads the bottom left-hand corner of the ad.

The second page of the ad shows a bowl of cereal about to be doused with milk. Top ad copy states: "Even before you pour the milk into the bowl."

The remaining copy is lengthier, explaining the first ad page and reiterating the importance of calcium to young children: "17% of the calcium even before you pour the milk into the bowl. Coco Pops contains 17% of the daily recommended calcium amount required for the proper growth of your children, in addition to eight other types of vitamins and essential minerals required for the growth of those most dear to your heart."

The ad focuses on the positive--the cereal's high level of calcium. Not mentioned is the cereal's high sugar content. Does the increased calcium negate the high sugar levels in the eyes of mothers, making it acceptable to buy the cereal?

Only time will tell. With its placement in the two magazines, the ad reached at least 338,500 women. Stay tuned for results on future cereal sales.